Pneumatic reproducing typewriting mechanisms



Aug. 30, 1932. H. E. HALE ET'AL 1,874,512

PNEUMATIC REPRODUCING TYPEWRITING MECHANISMS Filed July 16, 1931 2Sheets-Sheet l fizrentors. HAROLD EJmLE. 6 7%?!" 7!. WATSON.

Aug. 30, 1932. H. E. HALE ET AL 1,874,512

PNEUMATIC REPRODUCING TYPEWRITING MECHANISMS Filed Jul 16, 1931 2Sheets-Sheet 2 HZIROLD EHIILE.

WI]; LIA/W ll. WATSON.

Patented Aug. 30, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HAROLD E. HALE, OFSOMERVILLE, AND WILLIAM A. WATSON, OF MALDEN, MASSA- GHUSETTS PNEUMATICnnrnonucrne 'rYrEwn-irme MECHANISMS Application filed July 16, 1931.Serial No. 551,144.

This invention relates to typewriting machines for producing recordsheets, and has particular reference to machines capable of reproducingany quantity of letters or other typed matter, each of which, eitherwholly or in part, is a typewritten duplicate ofthe original letter.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a machine by whichwhat may be termed circular letters, may be prepared antomaticallyaftertyping an original letter and making acorresponding record sheet,each and every one of the automatically typed letters being identicalwith one which is 16 manually typed.

Another object is to provide a machine by which the manual operation ofa typewriter will produce a record sheet, which record sheet can then berepeatedlv used to effect automatic complete operation of the sametypewriting machine that was used primarily, or the operation of asimilar typewriting machine.

Another object is to provide mechanism by 2,5 which a manuallytypewritten letter, or a portion of a letter, can be producedsimultaneously with the-production of a record or master sheet, wherebythe operator candetermine, by reading the tvned letter, if the rec- 0rdsheet is correct.

Another object is to provide mechanism of the character described, inwhich a unitized portion thereof which effects the making of the recordsheet is portably removable, where 3 by when it is in place. a lettercan be typed and a record sheet simultaneously produced, and wherebv thesimple removal of said unitized norti on will enable the remainingmechanism to be employed for automatically producing as many typedduplicates of the original letter as may be wanted.

With the above-stated objects in view, and others that will 'beexplained, our invention consists in the construction and combinationsof parts substantially as hereinafter described and claimed.

Of the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of a completeapparatus or mechanism which embodies the presentinvention, and

Figure 2 is a somewhat diagrammatic view of the parts forming thesubject matter of the claims herein, someof the parts being in section.

Similar reference characters designate similar parts or features in bothof the views.-

The particular kind of typewriting ma chine chosen for illustration isof the wellknown Underwood type, but the invention is not limitedthereto.

Referring first to Figure 1, each typewriter lever or key 8 is connectedby a link 9 to a lever 12 pivotally supported at 11 by a suitablebracket 10, and the rear or inner end of each lever '12 extends underthe lower end of a vertically movable rod 16, so that whenever a keylever 8 or any other manual of the typewriting machine is actuated toimprint a character on a sheet mounted as usual on the platen of thetypewritting machine, or to efiect any other operation, a correspondingrod 16 will be lifted.

Removably mounted on the table portion 13 of a suitable cabinet whichcontains many of the power and other pneumatics of the completemechanism, is a frame 14 (Figs. 1 and 2) having pendent pins or legs 15which fit holes in the support 18 when said frame and the parts carriedthereby are in place for the making of a record sheet by an operatormanually using the typewriter and typing a letter in the usual way.

Mounted to reciprocate vertically in the frame 14 are the slender rods16 (Fig 2), one for each key lever 12.

The upper end of each rod 16 is shaped to provide a relatively thinfinger 17 Each rod is also recessedas at 18 to provide a shoulder, saidrecessed portion fitting a slot in a fixed guide bar 19. The slots insaid guide bar are of sufficient length to permit each rod 16 to vibrateslightly when actuated as hereinafter described.

A strip 20, hereinafter referred to as a curtain strip, extends alongover and normally in line with the tips 17 of the entire row of lifterrods 16. Said strip 20 is pivoted to and depends from a frame 21pivotally connected at 22 to the top of the frame 14. By means of a stoplug 23 and spring 24:, the curtain strip normally remains in theposition illustrated'in Figure 2 but may be swung aside as hereinafterdescribed.

The frame 21 carries a pad 25 which normally bears on the open upper endof a conduit 26, in which a partial vacuum is normally maintained, saidpad 25 acting as a valve to prevent the admission of air to saidconduit. Said conduit'26- is connected to a wind chest 27 from which airis exhausted through 'a main conduit 28 by means of a suitablepowerdriven vacuum producer in a casing 29.

The vacuum chamber or wind chest 27 communicates through a valved portwith a pneumatic 30 the structure of which and of the valved port may beof the type illustrated in Letters Patent No. 1,142,863 issued June 15,1915, to W. A. Watson. The movable side of said pneumatic has an arm 31to acton the lower end of an arm 32 of a rock shaft 33 which has twoarms 34 that are connected by links "35 to a bar 38 carried by the upperends of two arms 39 pivoted to the frame at 40, so that whenever thepneumatic 30 is collapsed the bar 38 is pulled quickly to the left inFigures 1 and 2 so as to act as a striker against the upperend of anyrod 16 that is lifted as hereinafter described.

7 'Reciprocally mounted in guide strips 37, 36, and also in a guidestrip 41 are slender punches42 the heads 43 of which are opposite to andin line with the upper ends of the lifter rods 16. There is one punchfor each lifter rod. Each punch 42 is normally held in the positionshown: in Figure 2 by a spring 44 confined between the guide strip 36and a collar 45 secured to the punch.

f 'Whenever a key lever 12'raises its associated rod 16, the tip of thefinger 17 of the latter contacts with the curtain strip 20and lifts thelatter, resulting in opening the valve 25 so that thepneumatic 30 mayact. But such lifting of the selected rod 16 also brings its upper endbetween the striker bar 38 and the head 43 of the proper punch so thatthe result of the action of the pneumatic 30 is to cause the bar 38 tomove quickly in or to the left in Figure 2, and act through the fingerof the lifted rod 16 and cause the selected punch to act, on the recordsheet a, which is backed by the die bar 46 presently described. Thismovement of the striker bar 38 dislodges the finger 17 from the edge ofthe curtain strip 20 to permit said stripto drop-to normal inactiveposition, and results in a re-closing of the pad valve 25.

Suitably supported by the frame 14 is a member 46 hereinafter referredto as the die bar. It is preferably made in two parts shaped to providean internal chamber which is divided into front and rear portions by ascreen 47 of wire mesh or other suitable material. The curved front ofthe die bar has holes into which the operated punches move far enough toform the requisite apertures in the record sheet.

Behind the frame 14are suitably mounted other parts of the machine,including a takeup spool 48 and a spool 49 for the sheet which crank armto which oneend of a link 56 is connected; The other end of said link isconnected to a pneumatic motor 57 of any well-known type such asillustrated in Letters Patent 809,919, the purpose of said motor beingto provide or effect intermittenttravel of the sheet a from the spool 49to the spool 48 when the machine is being operated as hereinafterdescribed. I

A vacuum tube 58 connects the motor 57 with the control box 59 in whichis a diaphragm 60 to cooperate with the usual padded end of the tube 58.A conduit 61 which is normally open, connects the space below thediaphragm 60 with a port in the bed plate 62, which port isintermittently opened and closed by the slide valve 63. One end of theslide valve has an adjustable screw 63' which is engaged by a finger 65of a pneumatic 64, and the other end of the slide is engaged by a finger67 of a pneumatic 66 which is smaller than the pneumatic 64. The purposeofthis difference in size of the pneumatics 64, 66, is to effect a quickreturn of the slide valve to the left (Fig. 2) after the pneumatic 64has actuated the slide valve and'then returned to its normal position.

The wind chest or vacuum chamber 68 of the two pneumatics 64, 66, isconnected by av conduit 69 with the vacuum: producer 29 and'said conduit69 has an open port connection 70 with the control box 59 above itsdiaphragm 60.

One end of a long conduit 71 is connected 7 to the wind chest 68, andits lowerend 72, which is illustrated as extending through the table '13adjacent to one of the pins 15, is normally open but is adapted to beclosed by a spring'valve 73 pivoted at 74 and havmg a pin 75 extendingup into the adjacent hole in the table, so that when theframe 14, whichis removable, is in place as illustrated, one of its pins or legs 15will hold the valve 73 open. But when said frame and the parts carriedthereby are removed, the suction in the conduit '71 and the spring ofthe valve will cause the valve to automatically close,

thereby ensuring that when the frame 14 and its parts are removed, therewill be no such passage of air into and through the conduit 71 as wouldinterfere with the proper operation of the mechanism.

A conduit 76 connects the chamber of the die bar 46 behind the screenpartition 47 with the wind chest 68. I v Behind the die bar 46 is atracker bar 77, and a brief description of the utility of said trackerbar will be given hereinafter although not a feature of the mechanismthat is claimed herein.

The operation of the described mechanism will now be explained. a 1

U sually a sheet of paper is first inserted in the typewriter around theusual platen of the latter, so that a letter can be manually typed,which letter can, later, be compared with duplicates effected by the useof the record sheet in which perforations are made by the punches 42 atthe sametime that the above-mentioned letter is being typed.

Operation of either typewriter key 8 effects, through its associatedlink 9 and lever 12, the lifting of its associated rod 16 so that theupper end of the latter will be interposedbetween the striker bar 38 andthe head 43 of the punch 42 that is in line with such lifted rod 16. Thekey 8 moves downward and the corresponding rod 16 moves upward to anextent or distance limited by contact of the shoulder at the lower endof the recess 18 with the fixed bar 19. As the rod 16 rises, its upperend 17 contacts with the lower edge of the curtain 20, causing thelatter to rise with it and lift the frame 21 so that the valve pad 25 ofthe latter opens the conduit 26. r The resulting admission of airthrough said conduit to the vacuum chamber 27 effects the collapsing ofthe pneumatic 30 in a well knownmanner such as explained'in the PatentNo. 1,142,863 hereinbefore referred to. Such collapsing of the pneumatic30 causes, through the members 32, 33, 34, 35, a quick movement of thestriker bar 38 so that the latter will act, through the finger 17 of thelifted rod 16, to impart a blow to the selected punch 42 to cause theother or inner end thereofto cut a small hole in the record sheet a.This operation shifts the tip of the lifted rod 16 away from the edge ofthe curtain strip so that gravity causes said strip and the frame 21 andthe valve pad to fall, said pad then closing the conduit 26 and allowingthe pneumatic and the striker bar 38 to return to their inactiveposition illustrated. Of course the moment that the operator releasesthe key 8 that was depressed, the lifted bar 16 is freed so that i tdrops to its normal position.

As soon as any punch has perforated the sheet a in the manner described,air at atmospheric pressure can pass through such perforation into thechamber in the die bar 46 and from there through the conduit 7 6 so thatthe usual valve in the wind chest 68 will be shifted and result incollapsing the pneumatic 64 and the shifting of the slide valve 63 overthe port in the bed plate 62. This cuts off atmospheric supply throughthe conduit 61to the diaphragm in the control box 59 so that it fallsfrom the position illustrated and results in the admission of vacuumtension from said box59 through the tube 58 to the wind motor 57. Theoperation of the latter then causes the sheet a to travel to positionfor receiving the next perforation. The proper spacing can be regulatedby means of the screw 63 in one end of the valve 63 against which thefinger 65 bears. By adjusting the screw 63 the length of time duringwhich the port in the bed plate 62 will be open, can be varied so asto-vary' the length of time that the motor will operateito cause advanceof the sheet a. Therefore said sheet can be caused to travel a greateror lesser distance according to the distance desired between successivepunchings.

The screenpartition 47 in the die bar 46 prevents the little waste paperpunchings from being drawn into the conduit 76, and any undueaccumulation thereof can be 'removed either through suitable normallyplugged apertures in the bar, or by temporarily separating the twomembers of the bar.

The object of providing the frame 14 with the pendent pins 15 fittingholes in the table top 13 is because of said frame and the parts carriedthereby being removable; and it is important that when it is in placefor use the row of lifter rods 16 shall be in accurate alinement withthe row of levers 12 which are actuated by the typewriter key levers, itbeing understood that the typewriter and the members 9, 10, 12 areusually mounted in fixed positions on the table top. When the frame 14is in position, the valve 73 is held open, as has been described, topermit passage of air into and through the conduit 71 to the wind chest68 to hold the pneumatic 66 collapsed.

After a record sheet has been completed, and it is desired to use thatsheet for controlling the automatic repeating operation of thetypewriter to efiect the production of duplicate letters, the recordsheet is rewound on the spool 49, the frame and its parts including thedie bar 46 are removed, and the record sheet again connected to thelower spool 48, with said sheet then in contact with the tracker bar 77. Said tracker bar is similar to those used in player pianos, and itsapertures are connected by conduits with pneumatics 7 8 such asindicated in the lower portion of Figure 1, and which pneumatics actuaterods 79 the upper ends of which engage the levers 12, and the latter,through the links 9, will then operate the typewriter key levers. Thisdescription is given to explain the reason for the frame 14 and itsparts being removable. The various pneumatics and the connectionsthereof illustrated below the table 13, and some of the other partsillustrated in Figure 1 but not described, arenot claimed herein butwill be more fully illussheets, because record sheets produced by themechanism herein described and claimed could be employed for otherpurposes such as controlling the setting of type, or the distribution oftype, or for any selective controlof a series of operations.

Having now described our invention, we claim 1. In a machine for makinga record sheet, an apertured die bar, punches to cooperate with said diebar, pneumatic means for effecting travel of a sheet betweensaid die barand punches, and vacuum tension connec' tions between said die bar andpneumatic means. Y

2. Ina machine for making a record'sheet, an apertured die bar,pneumatics, conduits betweensaid die bar and neumatics, punches tocooperate with said die bar in perforating a sheet, and manuallyoperable keys for selectively controlling the operation of the' punches.V

3. In a machine for making a record sheet, a chambered die bar, meansfor exhausting air therefrom, punches cooperating with said die bar toperforate a sheet, and pneumatic mechanism for effecting travel of therecord sheet, said pneumatic mechanism having conduit connections withsaid die bar.

4. In 'a machine for making a record sheet, a chambered die bar,'meansforexhausting air therefrom, punches cooperating with said die bar toperforate a sheet, and means whereby, when a perforation is made in thesheet, the sheet is caused to travel .a pre-determined distance.

5. In a machine for making a-record sheet, rolls for supporting a sheet,a die bar over which the sheet passes, punches to cooperate with the diebar in perforating the sheet, pneumatically operated means for actuatingthe punches and efi'ecting travel 'of the sheet from one roll to theother, and means for varying the degree of successive steps of movementof the sheet to vary the spacing of the perforations lengthwise of thesheet.

6. In a machine for making a record sheet, a series of punches, astriker'bar movable toward and from thepunches, a series of fingersmovable to and from position between said striker bar and punches,pneumatic mechanism. for actuating said striker bar, and

manually operable means for selectively moving said fingers to operativeposition.

7. In a machine for making a record sheet,

"" a series of punches, a striker bar movable toward and from thepunches, a'series of fingers movable to and from position between saidstriker bar and punches, pneumatic mechanism for. actuating said strikerbar,

8. In a machine for making a record sheet, I

a series of punches, a striker bar movable toward and from the punches,a series of fingers movable to and from position between said strikerbarand punches, a movable frame having a curtain member above thefingers, pneumatic mechanism for actuating said striker. bar, manuallyoperable means for selectively moving said fingers between the strikerbar and punches and to contact with and raise said curtain member, and avalve member carried by said curtain frame to control said pneumaticmechanism.

9. In a' machine for making a record sheet, a chambered die bar havingapertures in one side, means for exhausting air from the other side,punches cooperating with said apertures, and a screen traversingthechamber of the die bar to prevent material punched from the sheetfrom being drawn away by the said air-exhausting means. 7 7 i 10. Inmechanism for making a record sheet, a frame carrying punches andpneumaticmechanism for operating them, a table supporting said frame,said frame being removable from the table, means being provided foraccurately positioning said frame when in place on the table, awind-chest and means connected therewith to effect travel of a recordsheet, a conduit connected at one end to said wind-chest and having itsother end adjacent to the lower portion of said removable frame, and avalve for automatically closingsaid conduit when the said frame isremoved from the table. y

In testimony whereof we have aflixed our signatures.

HAROLD E. HALE. WILLIAM A. WATSON.

